The Jones Act contains provisions that protect commercial fishermen and merchant seamen while they perform their duties aboard maritime vessels. Jones Act maintenance and cure are two legal entitlements seafarers can use to help recover if injured at sea. Maintenance and cure place a legal responsibility on ship owners and employers to provide compensation for the living expenses and medical...
Being injured at sea can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating. Medical bills add up, time off work takes its toll, and the pain and suffering complicate matters further. Seafarers deserve compensation for all of these difficulties. It is often difficult for people who work at sea to find help when their employer is not adequately compensating for injuries...
Jacksonville, Florida, and JAXPORT serve as an important port and point of operations for maritime activity along the strategically important St. Johns River. JAXPORT is the State of Florida’s largest container port and the nation’s second-largest vehicle-handling port, making it a critically important economic engine for North Florida. In addition to cargo handling, JAXPORT supports the cruise ship industry...
Popularly known as the Sunshine State, Florida offers residents a blend of sunny skies and coastal beauty. Yet when hurricane season rolls around, it poses significant threats, ranging from violent winds to toxic mold infiltration. If you sustained storm damage or experienced another incident that led to substantial property damage, you’re likely wondering about the property damage insurance claims...
Understanding how to prove a bad-faith insurance claim is crucial if you feel your insurance company handled your claim unfairly. To successfully argue a bad faith claim in Florida, you must demonstrate that the insurance company is responsible. Examples include intentionally denying or delaying valid benefit payments. Simply rejecting or denying a claim doesn’t necessarily constitute bad faith claims...
Passengers on cruise ships often find themselves in a new and unfamiliar environment. Cruise ships are in many ways floating cities with a large number of unique risks caused by its status as a vessel in navigation as well as providing accommodations to several thousand people in tight quarters. Cruise ships often have wet or slippery substances that passengers...
As a responsible person, you make sure you are properly insured in the event that you are involved in an automobile accident. Sadly, many individuals are not so responsible and often operate their vehicle with either no insurance or inadequate coverage. Fortunately, your automobile insurance policy may provide coverage for accidents caused by uninsured or underinsured motorists. UM/UIM coverage...
In Florida, insurance companies have a duty to promptly investigate your claim and respond to it in a reasonable manner. They also must not violate any portion of the Florida Unfair Trade Practices Act and must have a solid justification for the payments they pay out. Unfortunately, not all insurance companies comply with Florida Law. You might have a bad faith...
Many insurance companies collect enormous fees for decades, but when it comes time for them to pay, they do not want to fulfill their end of the bargain. Under the best circumstances, dealing with insurance companies after a catastrophic loss is difficult. Things can go downhill fast when they fight you at every step of the claims process and...
Many individuals are dependent on certain medication, treatments, or procedures for survival. This may be a chemotherapy drug, or surgery. But what happens if your health insurance company denies or suspends medical treatment that is not only necessary, but essential to your survival? Sadly, this is a scenario that we have seen play out before. Why Are Essential Medical...